Mitsubishi Electric, Zenrin and nine other automakers will start collecting high resolution 3D maps for self-driving cars to use, in preparation for autonomous car deployment in the country. The project is backed by the Cabinet Office’s Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (quite a mouthful), which commissioned Dynamic Map Planning, a joint venture of the 11 companies, to build the 3D maps. See Also: EU, Japan to connect for faster autonomous car rollout Japan’s government hopes that self-driving cars will be on the road before the start of the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2020, according to Nikkei

New research identifies nearly $7 billion in funding for U.K. smart city projects if players can tap into flows of private capital

Swedish automaker Volvo wants to make sure its self-driving trucks are able to operate in all environments, including inside a working mine 1,300 meters underground. Volvo outfitted an FMX truck with sensors to monitor surroundings and recognize moving obstacles. The truck was able to maneuver through the mines without crashing, during the tests

With more patients seeking medical care for sleep disorders, the world is waking up to the challenge of healthy sleep, its impact on overall health and the need for a good’s night rest. During the recent IFA conference here in Berlin, Philips presented the Dream Family solution designed to improve the sleep therapy experience for people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). More than 100 million people worldwide are estimated to have OSA, a serious condition that is treated with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy